132 THE FOREST AND THE FIELD. 



under the shelter of some noble oaks, by a beau- 

 tiful purling stream, rather more than half-way up 

 the hill, which rises about seven thousand feet 

 above the valley; and then Fred and I, leaving 

 the Doctor to superintend the culinary arrange- 

 ments, set out with the villager and Chineah to 

 reconnoitre the ground. 



It being so early in the season, the haunts of the 

 thaar had not been disturbed for some time, so we 

 had every reason to expect good sport. After 

 passing through a belt of moura oak, we came to 

 some rocky ground, where we found numerous 

 fresh slots and traces, but no thaar ; so we crept 

 along some very aw^kward-looking places to the 

 east face, and gained a grassy slope where we 

 found several gooral feeding. Desiring our people 

 to lay down and remain quiet, Fred and I made a 

 circuit, and gained the cover of a rock within a 

 hundred yards of the game, from whence we 

 should have had an easy pot shot right and left, 

 when, just as we were about to fire, a brace of 

 cheer pheasants got up, with a whirr, from almost 

 under our feet, and gave the alarm. AVith a snort 



